Decluttering your living space

We all have clutter. There are always things to keep and things to toss. Clutter has been scientifically proven to raise stress levels. It is healthier and a clutter-free home will help you feel more relaxed. Here are a dozen helpful tips on decluttering your living space:

1.Take Your Time

It's easy to get overwhelmed or frustrated if you try to tackle too much decluttering at one time. You're more likely to see progress, and thereby encouraged, if you break the big jobs into smaller manageable tasks. Start with the big problem areas and work your way to the lesser problem areas. Stay diligent and before you know it your entire living space will be clutter-free and more functional.

2.Think About Where You Put Things

There are things that you use regularly. Sometimes we just put them anywhere. Stop and think for minute and designate the best place to keep them. Once you've done this keep it up by putting the items back in those spots when your doing using them.

3.Make A Plan

When decluttering you will need tools. Boxes,plastic totes, garbage bags,labels and magic markers. Take four boxes and mark them: "Give away", "Throw away", "Store" and "Donate".

4.Sell Some Stuff

You can always make spare money by selling items. You can do it many ways- through Craigslist,eBay, consignment shops, flea markets,or yard and garage sales. There is an old saying what's one man's trash is another man's treasure. If you're a savvy seller, and you have items that are truly valuable, why not recoup some of your investment?

5.Lighten UP Your Library

Try to be more selective. It probably isn't necessary to hang on to every book or magazine you've owned. If you're really done reading them it's not a bad idea to pass them to friends and family or donate them to a book drive.

6. Create A" Maybe" Box.

Sometimes when you're cleaning and going through things you know exactly what you want to keep and what you going to trash or even some things you might donate. But you always come across some things that you're not sure about, that you might need someday. So if you create a maybe box and put it away for six months you'll then be able to see if you really need it. After six months you can rethink it and keep it or toss the whole box.

7.Use Plastic Storage Bins

It happens to all of us, we accumulate stuff. Use plastic storage containers. They are convenient and a great way to organize your items. They also stack easily and many times are translucent so you can see what you have stored without opening them.

8.Label Everything

Remembering to label boxes, plastic bins and even shelves can help decrease the amount of time you spend looking for things. This is especially important when you're moving and you need to put your goods in storage. A little extra time spent labeling when you're packing will save a lot of time when you're unpacking.

9. Put A Load In Your Car For Charity.

As you're cleaning up your space you will come across things to add to your " donate " box. It will only take a few extra minutes to put that box in your trunk and drop it off at a donation center.

10. Recycle Or Reuse

Be sure to recycle: plastic, glass, and aluminum all can be recycled. Be sure to check the bottoms of the containers for the appropriate recycle symbol. You can also call your local recycling processing center and see if they except newspapers,corrugated cardboard or glass. They may also be able to tell you how you can recycle old computers and other electronics.

11. Throw It Out

If you cannot sell it,donate it, or recycle it, then trash it. When a household item has reached its end, it's okay to throw it out. This includes duplicate,warn, damaged or unrepairable items and it's time to get rid of them. This will help make space for new memories.

12. Ask Yourself Hard Questions

Think about the items you have. Sometimes it's as simple as taking a step back and asking yourself questions about whether to keep or get rid of something. Ask yourself hard questions such as: Have I used this in the last year? If I were shopping right now, would I buy this? Am I holding onto this for sentimental value? Am I holding on to this broken item intending to fix in the future? Do I have a similar item that serves the same purpose? Does this item fit my living space anymore?

We hope these helpful tips help you de-stress by de-cluttering your living space.